Thais in Malaysia may only return home by air

Thai people living or working in Malaysia, who wish to return home, can now only do so by air, after all land border crossings between Thailand and Malaysia were closed today.

According to a statement, issued by the Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Thai citizens in Malaysia can request a certificate from the Embassy online, if they want to return to Thailand, provided that they obtain a “fit to fly” doctor’s certificate from any hospital or clinic in Malaysia or at the two airports in Kuala Lumpur.

The Thai embassy has also opened three hotline numbers – 017-709822, 011-11721963 and 011-11608379 – for Thais to find help or advice.

Many Thai Muslims, from the four southern border provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Satun, work in tom yum gung restaurants in Malaysia and send their incomes to help families back in Thailand. They recently started to return home, after the Malaysian government ordered the closure of borders with Thailand to stem the spread of COVID-19.